Munchausen's syndrome | NHS

A psychiatrist explains the motivation behind Munchausen's syndrome, also known as factitious illness, where someone pretends to be ill or causes symptoms in themselves. This can include inflicting wounds or tampering with blood and urine samples. He also explains the importance of getting treatment and describes another form of the condition where a person fabricates an illness in someone in their care.

[bridget]

My mom has it. When my parents got divorced we all had restraining orders on her, including my dad, and he got full custody.

[NarePoghosyan]

Now imagine if someone pretends to have Munchausen's syndrome o.O

[fayeart]

I have a dear friend that has this and it's been going in for year's. She lies so much she can't even remember details from one story to the next. For a long time I fed into her health fabrications until I actually had a very serious health scare myself and need desperately to decrease my stress level as I'm dealing with cranial aneurysms. I don't want to lose her friendship but, I can no longer support her crazy health issue fabrications. She drains my energy and causes me great stress. How do you stop someone like this from invading on you all the time. If I try to talk with her she becomes angry. I desperately need her to stop! She is mentally exhausting!

[sunflower]

My other has this and learned a wide variety of ways to create symptoms like arrhythmias, etc. using medications. She was neglected by the father who brought her up, and the only time she got paternal attention was from doctor visits with her mom. The problem is she did have some legitimate health issues so it was hard for our family to know when she was "crying wolf." She became very knowledgeable about medical problems but has hidden that so she could do this. She would even have other people diagnosed with things by talking to doctors and nurses and giving them false information. Munchaussen's people can become very manipulative and cunning, playing family members off of each other. The emotional toll for family is staggering.

[spiritinthesky]

My mother has to have someone around her thats "mentally ill" at all times. I was her target as a teenager. Thats funny bc she walked out of treatment center she put me in when confronted. Told everyone in town about my schizophrenia i dont have, brain damage i dont have, convinced my father im brain damaged, told my employees, friends, her friends, her customers all about me, her brother with actual schizophrenia, my grandmothers alzheimers, my grandfathers dementia he didnt have, my fathers illness who is a hypochondriac and shes about killed him asministering electro shock therapy and now he has neuropathy. Its ruined my life pretty much.

[johnnyboy]

I think my sister may have a mild case of this. She constantly talks about her health and how she feels etc. She goes to the doctor all the time. I am not sure if she does things to make herself appear ill but she does make things sound worse than they really are. I know her family has asked her to not talk about being sick or illness or injury with them anymore. I mean her kids and husband have told her to stop. I listen to her because I feel she needs somewhere to discuss it.

[halsfineday]

I was diagnosed with this..humiliated and disgraced. Reclused to my home to hide and was forced into and e.r. after a glass pot shattered leaving shards in my arm. Unfavorable response to drugs and chest pain again led the anesthatist to beg me to see a heart doctor ..again..with his referral. That doctor immediately took an honest position and said ...I don't know and I have looked at your extensive records. He never ran a test instead sent me from Texas to the real experts at MAO hospital in Minnesota where I was correctly diagnosed with advanced heart failure. The mental damage the doctors did to me before I went to MAO will always be there. I live a reclusive life now avoiding doctors and hospitals like the plague. The trust is gone except MAO and I can't afford to go there again and don't live there.

[askjdog]

I relate to muenchausens by proxy from my childhood. Sick. Unfortunate. And scared for life.

[RaceySpacey]

Some don't do it for attention but infact enjoy hurting themselves in private and for me it is kind of like bugchasers? Look up bugchasers. People do this as crazy as it is to feel special or loved, most people like this would have been brought up by parents who were never there for them and in return can develop this kind of behaviour

[Pisceswildfire]

Very interesting, for me as a nursing student and also very real, as I am very sure I know someone who suffers from this syndrome. How would I deal with this?

[playwow]

This sounds horrifying thanks for the info though I've always heard this term but been confused because of the proxy one

[ryuzakithecrux]

I think I have munchausens, though I've never been abused by my family, really my family is very caring for me, trying to help me out with my depression and all that.. but I just.. have a strange desire to be insane.. I don't know why..

[magicmoonart]

Does this title apply to people who like to pretend someone else is ill besides themselves? I have this friend who is obsessed with ME being ill and pretends I am ill, she says stuff like "oh I heard you coughing last night, or I found this tissue with blood on it, did you cough it up?" when none of that happened. And telling me I must rest because I get sick easily and treats me like I'm frail and weak when actually I am the strongest and healthiest I've been in a long time. Does it also mean mentally ill as well as Physically?

[dennisantle]

I believe my brother had this but it later actually did lead to actual health problems due to medications he got his hands on that he was convinced he needed but didn't. He is currently diagnosed with narcolepsy and I know it's wrong or maybe it was brought on by extreme meds he was taking.
His symptoms started with seizures and changed from that to various other stuff over the years. Also he has stormed out of hospitals when confronted about exaggerated or faked symptoms. Every thing I read on this disorder makes me feel I am reading about him. It's sad because the effects of 20 plus years of this have taken an irreversible toll on his mental health. Anyway he somehow has a doctor and himself convinced he has Narcolepsy and the chaos and drama has stopped. Maybe he does have Narcolepsy but he didn't always I promise you that. I don't know if it's possible to bring Narcolepsy on with years of prescription drug abuse but that would be my guess if he actually does have it.

[rubyhoney]

Thanks for posting
Very useful information

[Nanomachineson]

Thank goodness "syndrome" was removed. This isn't a mental illness (although it is associated with some). It is a term used to describe someone who is lying about having an illness and wasting medical resources while fully aware of the consequences their actions have on themselves and others.

[xlunadivinerx]

I came here because of Gypsy rose and DeDe

[sierraobrien]

Isn't this concidered self harm too?

[supercaptainbatdoggy]

What can I do if I suspect someone I know has Munchausen Syndrome (Factitious Disorder)? This is not by proxy, but rather it is something they are doing to themselves.
My friend HAS HAD abuse and trauma in her life, and has endured a lot of stress, especially lately, including the 'supposed' loss of her fiance. (I say supposed because I have no proof -- other than what shes told me -- that he died. Or even that she ever had one. Or certain other things she tells me about her life and what she goes through.)
I suspect there is a touch of narcissism and pathological lying & storytelling associated with this munchausens.

My problem is that I want to know how to confront her, for lack of a better word, to ask her if she thinks she has this disorder or if she knows that what she is doing is wrong. Without coming across as directly accusing her of it. Because Im pretty sure that will offend her and will put her on the defensive.

I love my friend, she is a great person. But I am getting tired of her constantly complaining and her dumping her world onto mine.
Because I have my own life and things to deal with, and I almost cannot take it anymore it is very emotionally draining.
Please help me. Help me to help her. ❤

[damocles]

Is it wrong just to experiment with insanity? Is it masochistic if you want to be insane just to experiment?? I've been having these thoughts and I'm really curious